Sealed with a Kiss
by NeaKelty
Summary: Written for KeepCalmAndWriteSomething's "The Five Kisses Challenge" these are the five most important kisses in Narcissa Malfoy's life. Rated M for safety.


The stark white walls of the sick ward were just a touch too bright to her eyes. Narcissa was desperately tired. So tired and weak, her mind kept wandering at the slightest of references to her past and she wanted nothing more than to go home. Oh, how she would rather be in her bed in the suite her beloved son had given her in his newly built home. However, she also would never let something as trivial as her death taint such a beautiful environment he had created for his family. After the war and fighting tooth and nail to get the property that was rightfully his by birth back from the ministry, her son and razed the large manor house to the ground. What followed were years of rituals of healing magic to the earth to cleanse the taint of the Dark Lords presence on their land. Covens traveled from the mainland for the privilege of helping to destroy the last of him from their world, and finally the manor had been rebuilt. Narcissa would never let her death be the first to happen there, because Draco's family deserved to have an untouched home for as long as could be helped.

Ten years was not nearly enough time for the magic of the covens to settle. And, no matter how many healers her son flew in from far off countries, she was dying. She could feel it, and, it was soon; probably even today. The healers kept promising her son they would try but the drain on her body and her magic was just too much. For the past few years she had developed a sickness that couldn't be traced. Oh, Narcissa knew what it was, but she would take that secret to her grave. No one could know, least of all the son that she could hear coming down the hall for his daily visit to her. Her beautiful boy came every day to her bedside when he was in country, and when he wasn't he sent flowers to brighten her days in his stead. It was good that he was here on her last day. She would get to say goodbye to the best thing this world had ever given her.

The quiet voice of her son could be made out speaking with the nurses about her treatment and tests. She smiled weakly and took a breath before harnessing all of her strength. It was selfish of her, but she wouldn't let him see her weakness. She wouldn't let him know these were her last hours if she could help it. She wanted many more days, but if she could only have this one, she wanted to do her damnedest to make it count. Pulling a book into her lap, she opened it to a random page and slid the mask of mother onto her face. She could tell when he came in the room, because the conversation paused and she counted to three before she looked up at him. His face showed mild confusion at seeing her sitting, when the nurse had probably warned him of her exhaustion. She smiled at him a little tiredly and held a hand out towards him.

"Dragon, my darling boy." His cheeks pinked at the name she hadn't called him since he had a child of his own, and he walked quickly to her side grasping her hand tightly in his.

"Mother, you appear to be well today. Are the new potions helping finally?" He bent to kiss her hand, but not quick enough to notice the hope that slipped into them. When he looked back up at her it was masked, but a mother always knows. She smiled gently at him and motioned him to sit.

"I am faring well today, perhaps this healer will live up to his reputation." Draco inclined his head in her direction and peered at her suspiciously. Quickly, she turned the discussion to something guaranteed to distract him. "How is work going?"

He groaned and started a long-winded rant about Potter and the hairbrained plans he came up with for missions. Apparently, nothing ever went how he planned. She smiled and commented in all the right places, watching him and drinking in every second of his presence. She wouldn't trade anything for these moments with one of the only bright spots in her life. From Potter and work, she moved the conversation to his son Scorpius, and his exploits during his second year at Hogwarts. Her son was unable to get away from Potter there either, as their sons were the best of friends. The longer he talked the more she let her mind drift. These moments almost were not possible with her son, and she knew that her Draco would take the life that she had unknowingly given him and make it worth the things she had done.

**Flashback**

Times were dark, and the earth seemed to want to reflect that to everyone still alive. The sky never shone brightly, even in the dim brightness they usually got in Brittan. It was cold even for spring, and the coldness of fear seemed to seep into her heart. The manor was somehow even darker than the night outside, the only light coming from candles the house elves lit in front of her as she walked towards her fate. Her feet slid gracefully across the floor in elegant slippers that perfectly matched the green and silver of her silken robe. The French negligee underneath did little to assist with the lack of warmth surrounding her skin, but she did her best to ignore it and swallow her nervousness. She was a woman on a mission, but more than that she was a mother walking a lonely road to protect her son.

Narcissa faltered in her steps and shook herself, cursing silently. She could not think of her son currently ensconced in the dungeons below the manor, or the husband still twitching on the floor of the parlor downstairs. No, her mind was firmly on the task at hand. Steeling her spine, and reminding herself that she was not only Madame Malfoy, but a daughter of the noble House of Black, she started forward with a false confidence. Every step she took brought her closer to the light drifting into the hallway from under the study door that used to belong to her husband. All too soon, she found herself at her destination. Raising her hand to knock, she heard a hissing noise. Narcissa froze in place for a second that felt like eternity, and then summoned a courage only a mother can call upon. She knocked.

Five beats of her pounding heart passed before the door magically slid open and the grotesque red eyed figure of her Master beckoned her inside. She stepped over the threshold with confidence and walked across to the chair where he sat with purpose. Her eyes scanned the room to make certain they were alone before she shed her robe and sank gracefully to her knees at his feet, eyes downcast. She could feel his eyes roaming over the vast expanse of naked flesh her emerald ensemble revealed to him, before he shifted in his chair and told her to speak. Keeping her eyes downcast, she made her plea.

"My Lord. I wish to bargain for the life of my son." She remained silent while he considered her words, and she prayed to Merlin she had not been misguided in her attempt.

"Not your husband?" She closed her eyes briefly and answered the words she rehearsed for this very occasion.

"My husband is a grown man. He made mistakes against children as young as our son and brought great danger to you and our cause. He deserves your wrath. My son was bested by a wizard many of our best lieutenants have failed to capture and kill. He needs punished for his failures, yes. But please, I ask for his life." Silence reigned and she hoped with everything in her that she had not gone too far. It was a risk she took, but she had nothing to lose.

"What do you offer me that I cannot find elsewhere?" Startled, she just caught the gasp that tried to escape her lips. Thinking quickly, she replied.

"I offer the use of my body to warm your bed, My Lord. My willingness to conceive a child for you to continue your bloodline. I am a daughter of the House of Black. Tying yourself to my bloodline with an heir would bring you access to the family magics through our son." The Dark Lord went silent for what felt like eternity to her and she began to lose hope within herself. Just as the last tendrils of hope leaked from her heart, she felt a cold skeletal finger beneath her chin raise her blue eyes to meet his red ones. She felt him enter her mind and used the occlumency that had been drilled into her head from childhood to let him see all of her desperation to save her son, the contempt she held for her husband, and used it to shield her true desire to see this monsters' days numbered forever daring to threaten her son. He smiled evilly and stood, towering over her small form. She looked up at him from her knees, her hands splayed on her pale thighs palms up in a perfect show of submission. Her hair flowing freely down her back.

"I will spare your son, and you will give me an heir. I have business on the continent. We will begin when I return from this mission, however long it takes me. Access to the Black family magics will start as soon as you leave this room. Raise yourself, my pet, and seal this vow you have made me with a kiss." Swallowing her nervousness at possibly the most important kiss she had ever contemplated, she pulled her wand from the garter at her thigh and touched it to his heart. Murmuring the ancient words she had found in an old family tome for the forbidden concubine spell, she stood on her toes, and kissed him.

**End Flashback**

"Mother? Are you well?"

Her sons voice pulled her from the reverie of one of the most stressful nights of her life. She coughed delicately and smiled at him. Hopefully she hadn't gone off too long. It wouldn't do for her to undo all of her efforts to make him believe she was well.

"I'm sorry, Dragon. My mind wandered to your own Hogwarts days as you talked. What were you saying?" He appeared mildly appeased but no less concerned as he continued.

"I was telling you that Scorpius was overjoyed at finding out he had another sibling on the way just as you told me last week. I wanted you to be the first to know, Mother. Astoria had her first appointment with the healer this morning. We are expecting a girl."

Her son smirked at her proudly and her heart stuttered in her chest. Dear sweet Circe, a daughter! Her eyes filled with tears that she didn't try to hide from him. Reaching for his hand, she squeezed it tightly.

"Oh Draco! A daughter!" As he smiled and happily told her all of the plans he and his wife Astoria had for their daughter, the first daughter born into the Malfoy line in living memory. With tears in her eyes, her thoughts drifted to another Daughter of the House of Malfoy and a hospital room just like this one.

**Flashback**

The room was bright and her cheeks pink with youth and naivety. Her body was tired but she was the happiest she had ever been in her 20 years of life. In her arms she held her first born child. The past few years had been exhausting. She had been married off to the Scion of the House of Malfoy, and endured two years of constant supervision by her mother in law as she learned the rules of her new station. The Malfoys had always been a pretentious family, but it was a wonder that they assumed being a Malfoy was somehow superior to being a Black. Her parents had been furious but the contract had been binding, so she abided by her husband's wishes and endured. After a few years of showing off their newest prize to wizarding society, the Malfoys decided that it was time to perform the duty for which they bought her. She had been secretly joyed, but kept to herself, as her husband dutifully took her to bed for the five months it required to conceive her child. All of the spells said she had managed to conceive an heir, and she was proud to say she hid her disappointment well. She desperately wanted a daughter, but knew the Malfoys were well known for conceiving one heir and no more, having no need for a spare.

However, she was even more overjoyed to discover that magic had failed her for a second time in her life. Looking down at the daughter that by all rights should be a son, she smiled with such immense happiness. All roses and cream, and wrapped in a soft pink blanket a nurse had purchased her from the Gift Shoppe upstairs, her daughter slept at her breast. Imagining years of dress up games and teaching her to be a proper lady, Narcissa was lost in thoughts of the little miracle she thought would never be. A soft cough brought her out of her day dreams. Looking up, she met eyes with her husband. She smiled at him, just knowing that he would feel her joy. So lost was she to her happiness, she failed to notice the unease upon his usually impassive face.

"Oh Lucius! Do you see her? Isn't she just darling? Now we will have more than one blessing in our lives. A daughter! When all the scans said she would be a son!" She stared down at her sweet girl, and traced the outline of her small ear. Her skin was so pale, that it was almost see through. "I think we should call her Pandora. It's a moon of Saturn but the old stories say she was the first woman gifted with powers by Zeus. Perfect, don't you think, for the first-born Daughter of the House of Malfoy, don't you agree? I know you wanted a son but- "

"Narcissa." Something in Lucius' voice stopped her heart in her chest. He had gotten up while she talked and stood facing out the window. For the first time she noticed that his robes weren't their usual pristine finish, and his hair looked almost unkempt. He fingered the windowsill tightly and seemed to lean on it in a way no Malfoy would be caught. Ice started to slide its way through her veins before he even started talking, and she knew that whatever he had to say would surely be the death of her.

"There are secrets, privileged secrets, that you were not permitted to know. That you still are not supposed to know." Lucius stopped and took a breath before telling her the last of the secrets of being a Malfoy. Malfoy's don't have daughters. Occasionally, like now, it happened. It's usually caught in the beginning thanks to the magic but sometimes it slips through their fingers before they can discretely cover it up. Narcissa felt the tears of shock sting her eyes and blinked them away. He couldn't mean – no, surely not. He couldn't take her daughter from her. Not her precious miracle girl.

"Lucius, please…" He turned from the window and was at her side in a flash. He cautiously reached out to touch the newborn, and in a show of emotion she had never seen from him, he kissed her small head with shining eyes.

"I felt it when she was born. Her magic solidified in me, and I felt it. She can't head the family, and if she can't head the family my father will have her killed. I can't let that happen. Give her to me." Narcissa looked at him in fear and cradled the infant closer to her chest. "Narcissa please, I need you to follow these instructions. For once in this marriage, don't fight me. Please, do this so I don't have to murder my own child. My father is coming, and he _will_ end her life."

Lucius took a parchment from his pocket, folded up and crumpled. She reached for it and saw a hastily copied ritual written upon it. Narcissa studied his face for a moment longer, securing herself in the knowledge that if he meant her daughter harm, he would have just taken her while they slept. Malfoy's didn't say please, they took. She slid the infant into her fathers' arms. Lucius took her and looked down at her in awe, hugging her to him in a display that caused Narcissa to tear up. She didn't love her husband, she never had. But in this moment, she knew that their relationship would be forever changed. They were a team now. Hastily looking down at the ritual in her hands, she read quickly, understanding his plan. Fresh tears leaked down her face as she realized she would be giving her daughter up in just a few minutes time. The ritual was genius. It called upon family magics of the House of Black and wouldn't be detectable to the ministry or the elder Malfoy.

"Where do you mean to take her?" Lucius looked up at her, his eyes showing pain. He had dropped his guard with her in these moments, and she couldn't have been more grateful.

"I don't know. A muggle orphanage, maybe. We need her out of my father's influence, somewhere he wouldn't think to look twice at her. He is sick, but he will survive many years yet and he cannot be allowed to find her. He cannot." Lucius seemed to be on the end of sanity, talking of taking their precious daughter into the _muggle_ world. Suddenly, her mind thought of a plan so insane it just might work.

"Lucius… my sister."

Lucius eyes met hers in perfect understanding. This ritual would remove all physical traces of the Malfoy family from her appearance, leaving only Black traits behind. There was a Daughter of the House of Black that would take her, that was desperate for a child but would not conceive for fear of their family taking claim to the child now that she was nameless. Lucius nodded in understanding. He sat on the bed and they laid the child in both of their arms for the few precious moments they had left before the ritual must take place. The minutes they stole could have been disastrous, but they were worth it.

They studied the child, and all of her beautiful features. They took her in like a drowning man takes in oxygen and traced the small veins visible through her porcelain skin. She looked up at them with silver eyes, cooing and wriggling happily in their arms. Lucius unwrapped her to see more of her, and they held her small hands in their own. Running their hands over every inch they could reach to aid in the remembrance of the daughter they would never watch grow, they began to undress her. Unbuttoning the robe down the front of her little body broke the spell on both of them and they worked quickly. Narcissa undressed the infant and fed her one last time while Lucius pulled ritual bowls and potions from his pockets that he had stolen from her private rooms, and placed them on a table floating by her bed.

She pulled the child from her breast and handed her to Lucius to say goodbye while she pricked her finger and dripped blood into the potion floating inside. She held no doubts that it was perfect, Lucius potions always were. He laid the infant on the bed between her legs, and stood back. His magic was not allowed to interfere and they took great risk with him even in the room. He moved back to guard the door, while she traced a circle around her and the child with her wand. Chanting the words to the ritual, she drew runes along her daughters' skin with the potion trying not to think about the future she would miss. A final glow settled about the child and the circle dissipated. She looked up at her husband for a second, wrapped the child in her blanket again, and pulled the child to her body. Climbing out of bed, Lucius came to her and threw his cloak around her shoulders.

She apparated them to the gate to her sister's garden. It was a small house, almost a cottage, and looked like a homey place to raise a family. Hurrying up the walkway, she barely made it to the front door before it burst open and her sister emerged, wand pointed at them.

"Wait! Dromeda, please!" The desperation in her voice caused her sister to pause before she cast a curse that could disrupt their ritual. "Help me. Please, no magic."

Her sister nodded taking in her and the child before looking to Lucius in question. Lucius surrendered his wand by dropping it to the ground, and her sister waved them all inside, leaving it where it had fallen. That no one made a move to pick it up spoke volumes to Andromeda and they were ushered into the small kitchen.

Hastily, Narcissa explained the situation she found herself in and Andromeda needed little convincing. Blood adoption would give her the child she desperately craved, but would not put the child at risk of being taken from her. There were risks, to be sure. The spell messed with the child's magic, and could either make her a squib or unlock new abilities that would normally be suppressed. Lucius cleared his throat to alert her that their time was waning. Narcissa nodded to him, and looked down into the face of her daughter. Murmuring the last few words of the spell that would start the change in her parentage, Narcissa kissed the head of the small child. In a bright flash of magic, the spell took hold.

**End Flashback**

As she came back to herself, she realized that Draco had not noticed her departure from reality this time. It was happening more and more frequently as the visit wore on, and she knew that soon he would catch on. He was prattling on about the nursery and how excited he was that Astoria managed to conceive again. Muggle medicine, he decided, was not something to be laughed at. He wondered if he might have her taken to one if Potter could recommend a doctor. She smiled and nodded at him absentmindedly, wondering if it was really Potter, or more like Granger, that would be telling him which doctor to go to. He never spoke of the girl to her, but she knew they were acquaintances.

Draco continued on, filling the silence like he was accustomed to when she was weaker, seemingly without noticing. He talked about how it was fortunate that his father wasn't around to see all of the muggle things present in the wizarding world, especially this new trend about reaffirming their wedding vows. Draco and Astoria were set to do that this fall and he wanted to make sure that everything was perfect this time since their first wedding had been in secret. They hadn't gotten to have the big aristocratic wedding that she had. Smiling happily as he talked about how Astoria wanted to copy parts of her own wedding, he mistook the happy smile on her face for joy at the news. In reality, she was just happy that he wasn't like his father had been during the planning of their wedding. She was happy to know that her son would not be forced into an arranged marriage as she had been.

**Flashback**

The garden was pristine, taking perfectly manicured to a whole new level. All of the flowers seemed to be bloomed to the perfect degree, with just the right number of flowers in each plant. An elegant stone marquis had been built for such an occasion, and was off to the side of the property a discrete distance away from the Manor. It was shaded by a grove of weeping willows that blew in a magical wind, and each pillar was entwined with flowers the same color as the intricate decorations littering the tables and walls inside. On the outside looking in, it was beautiful. To Narcissa, it was a disgusting show of how the Malfoy family viewed itself.

Staring into the vanity mirror in the suite of rooms dedicated to her at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa took in her features. Her eyes were red from where she had been crying, her face having gone a splotchy colored mess. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her hair was unkempt in the bun she had tied it into to sleep last night. It was early morning, and a tray laden with eggs and bacon was sitting discarded on the foot of her bed where the house elf had laid it when she told him to leave her presence. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to run away and have a chance at happiness. Having witnessed first hand what happened when you don't follow orders and marry like a good little pureblood princess, she knew she would never be brave enough to try.

A knock sounded at the door and she looked at its reflection in the mirror wondering if the person would stand outside forever if she just simply didn't answer the call. The past week she had sequestered herself in her room at Black Manor, fighting the urge to run with every fiber of her being. Last night she was assaulted by a house elf and brought here to her new prison. All she wanted was to be brave. She wanted to follow in her sisters' footsteps and marry a man she loved. The knock sounded louder, and she closed her eyes against the sound. Her fists balled up in her lap and she fought tears. She allowed herself one more moment of weakness before using her wand to cast a few freshening spells.

"Come in," Narcissa called.

The door opened to reveal the Madame Malfoy, her new slave owner. She had been bought at a bargain price when her sister ran away from the man she was supposed to marry and saddled her with the responsibility. The woman was formidable. She stood tall and proud, her robes pristine and a deep blue that would lead one to believe she was a Ravenclaw. The woman was as Slytherin as they come, and just like a snake, would strike when you least expected it. They stared each other down in the mirror as the woman walked closer. Narcissa felt hands at her shoulders and the woman's dark fingernails dug into the stark white of the robe over her shoulders. She refused to wince or back down, and after a few moments, the woman smirked at her.

"Good. No future Malfoy should cave under a stern glance. I have much to teach you, child. A house elf will be by to draw you a bath and then a team of wizards will be by to make you… presentable." The woman looked her over in mild disdain before turning to leave. Narcissa narrowed her eyes at the woman, expecting her to turn and leave. Quite suddenly, the woman turned back to her and gave her an appraising look.

"You have spent the last week throwing a temper tantrum in your rooms at the manor. From now on you are expected to act in the manner of a besotted young wife. You will be at my sons' side in public at all times with a smile on your face and dressed to perfection. I don't know what you are accustomed to, but we do not tolerate the indecency of scandal. You may have been able to hide your torrid affair with that boy from your parents, but I have eyes everywhere. If you see him again, I will have him killed. You will learn that being a Malfoy comes with a higher standard of expectations. Become compliant, Ms. Black, or suffer the consequences."

The woman turned and walked purposefully from the room without looking back. When she left, Narcissa cast a silencing charm and screamed as loud as she could. She felt her throat rip and the tears cascaded down her face. Reaching for the first thing her hands found on the vanity, she launched it across the room. Over the next several minutes, she tore the room apart in her grief and anger over being denied the life she truly wanted. After a few moments, she took a breath and centered herself. Straightening her robe, she called for her personal house elf to clean the room quickly while she straightened her appearance and brushed her hair. No sooner had her elf vanished, then another small pop could be heard and a house elf was summoned to help her get bathed.

The next hour or two seemed to drag on as she was scrubbed, polished, tweezed, and made over to look like the happy bride she had to pretend to be. Everyone left her rooms to give her some time to reflect before the seamstress came to help her into the monstrosity of a dress she had been required to wear. She stared at the woman in the mirror for a moment, hardly believing that it was still her, when the door opened a crack and a skinny body with bushy black curls came sliding through it. Her older sister smiled at her in excitement.

"Oh Cissy! You are so gorgeous! You do our house proud. All of those people will rue the day they didn't offer more of a bride price." Narcissa fought back tears as her sister went on and on about how lucky she was to claim favor from the Malfoy's after their sister had spurned them. Suddenly Narcissa burst into sobs, and Bella stopped to look at her. "What's wrong Cissy?"

"I don't _want_ to marry Malfoy! I want to marry for love, Bella. I want to live a life I've chosen for myself. I want – "Narcissa was cut off by a vicious slap across the face from her sister.

"How dare you, Cissy! You are _lucky_ to be desirable enough to erase the shame that _she_ brought upon us! You will stop it this instant!" Bella punctuated her point by stomping her foot in tantrum. "Mother would throw you from the family or _worse_ if she heard this talk. Now, dry your face and fix your makeup. It is time to get into your dress."

Narcissa sniffed and reached for a handkerchief to dry her eyes. Her makeup had been spelled impervious to prevent any _happy_ tears from ruining her makeup for the official marriage portrait that would be painted with the use of a pensive. Just as she had herself collected, another knock sounded at the door. She took a breath and released it, nodding to her sister in the mirror. Bella let the dress maker in, and the women helped her into the dress. Just as they were finishing, the Malfoy's walked into the room with her parents to inspect her. This was customary, and she stood still while they talked about witnesses for the wedding night, and which uncle would be the most appropriate to use. It was embarrassing and disgusting to be talked about like she was livestock at an auction, but she knew she had to endure it.

In what seemed like seconds, she was being ushered to the back of the house and her father was at her side telling her how proud he was that she restored the family name. He talked about how good of a daughter she was, and all Narcissa could think was that she traded one cage for another. She had turned down love, for family obligation. This ceremony would bind her to a man she barely knew and that she didn't love for the rest of her life. She lost herself in her racing thoughts and muttered along with the vow the official was leading her through. All too soon she heard the words she had been dreading all day.

"With this kiss, the vow be sealed." She looked up into Lucius eyes for the first time in weeks, and saw the cold calculating look his father had given her earlier. He leaned forward, and she closed her eyes while his lips met hers. With the kiss, her vow, and fate, were sealed.

**End Flashback**

"-and then Scorpius apparently told his teacher that Betrothals were outdated and wrong. My son! I was shocked, mother. Truly! I mean, I know he knows I married for love, but you and father were betrothed and that turned out all right didn't it? You grew to love each other and it was well. Its not like the pair of you had great loves before, knowing you were going to marry each other and all." Narcissa smiled tightly at her son and nodded.

"He does seem to be rather fanciful. It must be Potter's influence." Draco smirked at her and nodded.

"He does spend an annoying amount of time with the Potter boy. That whole family line is completely saturated with romantic idiots. Did I tell you that he told me he would never have a big society wedding? He got it in his head that somehow poverty is romantic. Can you imagine, mother? A Malfoy that wants to live like a pauper someday, for love. Don't get me wrong, I love Tori. And, I would happily sacrifice a little of our way of life to be with her; but everything? I don't think I could have done what I did with Tori if I had thought I would end up cast from the family. Could you, mother?"

"Give up everything for love? No, no I don't think I could." Narcissa balled her hands in the blanket, fighting to stay in the present with her son and not drift to the past. Her son continued to talk good naturedly about the differences in him and his son at that age. Despite her best efforts, she drifted.

**Flashback**

The hot air licked at the skin of her arms and sweat trickled down her back. It was uncharacteristically warm for a London summer, and while she would normally be comfortably ensconced inside the manor house, Narcissa was sneaking down an ally. Her skirt was just past knee length, and it flowed from her body in an elegant manner. The light pink silk was in no way the proper attire for her present locale, but then again either was the starched white button down with cap sleeves she was wearing.

Her heels clicked as she walked close to the wall in shadow, looking over her shoulder every few seconds to make sure she wasn't followed. Her eyes flew wide as strong arms encircled her waist and she opened her mouth to call out when she heard the deep baritone of his laugh. Melting into his familiar arms, she let him apparate them away. Her feet landed hard on a sidewalk, and she didn't even grace the beautiful landscape with a glance before turning in his arms and pulling him close for a hug. In the two years they had kept up their dalliance, Narcissa had never kissed him. First kisses, and last ones, were powerful. There was magic in them, and she wanted to make sure that no one would find them out.

"Cissa…" He breathed her name into her dark hair, and pressed his lips to the side of her head. His voice was like a balm to her soul.

"Kingsley… Oh I've missed you!" Laughter rumbled in his chest like thunder and he spun her around in a circle in happiness.

"I have missed you too, my love. Come, I have a picnic for us."

He grabbed her hand and led her across the gardens to a blanket on a small hillside overlooking a valley. The sky was relatively overcast, but was clear enough for a Scottish summer day. She sank onto the pile of pillows near the basket, and he leaned himself against the tree. They ate slowly while they talked of trivial things, avoiding the elephant in the room for as long as possible. The afternoon sun drifted into early evening while she lay against his chest listening to his heartbeat and the way his voice seemed to echo through his chest. His voice drifted off and she knew what was coming, she knew that he was about to burst their tiny little bubble of happiness. She closed her eyes and wished for more time, even as he opened his mouth and stole it from her.

"Its almost time to go, Cissa." His voice was quiet for once, and a small tear slid down the side of her face.

"Just one more moment, Kingsley. Just one. I need to memorize this feeling. I need to feel you hold me just one more minute. Please?" Her voice was dripping with a panic she desperately wished it lacked, and his arms pulled her closer. She felt so safe here, in this moment, in his arms. With a small sob, she squeezed him closer and then let go. He let her slide out of his arms and she stood facing just slightly away so that she could take in the countryside instead of looking him in the face. Her friendly expression dropped from her features and she became every bit of the Black she pretended not to be with him.

"I am to marry Lucius in a week. My family put a binding spell on the new contract after what – after what Andy did. I have to go through with the marriage or I lose my magic and my inheritance."

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Kingsley watch her. His face was impassive and calm, but she knew him. She could read the hurt in his eyes and the tension in his body. She blinked a couple of times to keep the emotion off of her face as she had been taught, but there was just so _much_ of it. So much hurt, so much grief, so much raw anger coursing through her veins. Her own family was selling her to a cruel family, and what was worse was that they were selling her for a bargain after her sister had run away like a bloody Gryffindor.

"So, you're just going to go along with it? Without contemplating the plans we made?" His voice was deceptively calm and without emotion.

"What choice do I have? They want to take my magic! My _magic_ King. I can't… How am I supposed to live without magic? I would starve!" Kingsley stood and strode over to her, grabbing her arms just below the shoulder and shaking her lightly.

"Narcissa! Do you think I would let you starve? I love you, damnit!" She gasped and wrenched away. They had never said the words aloud before, but she had felt them for months just the same. He had broken the unspoken agreement between them to not say it aloud. Saying it aloud made it real in a way that made what she had to do next all that much more painful.

"It doesn't matter, Kingsley. It doesn't!" She wiped hastily at the hot tears running down her face. "My family has me trapped and I can't live without magic. I can't be a squib!"

Kingsley grabbed her by the arm gently this time, sliding her into the familiar safety of his arms. He held her while she cried and she felt his tears soaking into her hair as the sun started to set. He whispered sweet words to her until they both calmed down, and he pulled her gently from his body to stare into her eyes. Lifting his large hands to her face, he wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. Narcissa leaned her face into his hand and closed her eyes again. His hands trailed down her shoulders to her arms and then disappeared from her body. When she opened her eyes, he was looking at her with his wand in hand.

"I would have done anything for you Cissa. I would have given you all of the world that I could. But you won't let me. I think deep down I've known for a long while. You love me, but the sacrifice of your magic was always going to be too much for you. It isn't for me." He paused and took a breath while she looked on in confusion. He reached out and touched her face with his hand. "I vow to you, Narcissa Druella Black, that I will love you above all other women until the day I die."

"Kings!" Narcissa gasped as he grabbed her head and pulled her in for a kiss. His lips crashed against hers, and a light flashed around them sealing his vow.

**End Flashback**

Blinking slowly, Narcissa slowly came back to herself. Her son was watching her silently and she knew that she was found out. It was obvious on his features that he was worried for her, and she smiled tiredly at him from her bed. She was hunched slightly in the bed and she must have looked frighteningly exhausted. They watched each other for a moment before she couldn't take the silence any more.

"I'm sorry Dragon. I must have dozed off on you…" He scrutinized her carefully and she hoped he would accept the excuse. He fiddled with the ring on his left hand for a moment and she wondered what his next move would be.

"Its probably my fault mother, I've probably gone and tired you out." Her son looked at her tired frame, and then around the room as if trying to come to a decision. He sat a little straighter and seemed to gather courage before he looked at her again.

"Is there anything I need to know mother?" Their eyes met and a silent communication seemed to transpire between them. He knew she was hiding things, just as she had always hid things from the people in her life.

"Not today, son."

His eyes narrowed just the slightest degree, but he gave no other indication that he knew she lied to him. He stood and started to make his way over to her. Knowing he was about to leave, she asked him to retrieve her an extra blanket before he departed. He looked at her curiously, but wandered over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room to find one of the magically warmed blankets they stored there from the manor. Hospital blankets were too thin and ragged for the likes of a Malfoy.

While his back was turned, she muttered the words to a spell that would end the magical backlash with her. Her son would never know the pain she had suffered from all these years. He came back with the blanket and spread it around her, tucking her in as she had done for him when he was ill as a child. Reaching up with one hand, she guided his face down to within her tired reach, and kissed him on the corner of the mouth to seal her spell. She knew it worked, because the magical drain to her picked up.

"Goodbye mother. I will call on you tomorrow during lunch time." He smiled at her like he used to do when he was a small boy, and her heart warmed just the smallest degree. It truly worked. He already looked less tired, and soon his magical core would recover.

"Goodbye son. I will see you soon."

As her son walked from the room, she let her body relax into the bed and the warmth of the blanket. It had been a long visit, but more worth it than anything she could fathom. She got to spend one more evening with her son, and kiss him goodbye. It was the most important kiss she had ever experienced. As the room grew darker, her magic drained just that much further. It had been more than ten years since her beloved daughter had passed on, and the magic of the spell was exacting its final price. The veil was claiming all of her magic, just as the warning had stated at the bottom of the spell. There were consequences, just as with every spell cast with blood magic. It was worth it. Every second her daughter got to live on this earth was magic well spent.

The sky turned black, and the candles lit the room to a dull glow. A shadowy figure appeared in her doorway, and she reached her hand out knowing he would come. He walked over to her bedside and magically summoned a chair closer to her so he could sit and hold her hand. He stared into her eyes, and held her hand gently. He reached up and smoothed her hair back from her face.

"I couldn't let you die alone, Cissa." A lone tear fell down her face, and she smiled up at him calmly.

"Thank you…" His laughter sounded just the slightest bit choked as it rolled through the room.

"I swore once, that I would always love you. This, being here, is what love means."

He murmured to her quietly as he held her hand, and the seconds ticked by. Her magic depleted further, and he gripped her hand tightly as if to hold her to his plane as her heart gave out from the strain. Tears dripped down his face and onto the blanket as her soul slipped from her body, and she was no more.


End file.
